Satirical works of Kshemendra (study)
by Arpana Devi | 2017 | 60,954 words
This page relates ‘Kshemendra’s Family� part of the study on the Satirical works of Kshemendra: an 11th century poet from Kashmir, who composed three satirical works. Kshemendra himself says that in composing the satirical works his only motive is to reform the mindset of the people.—He exposes all the vices and follies prevailing in the society with the intention to reform it.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
2. ṣeԻ’s Family
The colophons of ṣeԻ’s works inform that the name of ṣeԻ’s father was ʰśԻ and the name of his grandfather was Sindhu.[1] In the Introduction to the ܻ屹Բ첹貹[2] Somendra puts more light on the genealogy of ṣeԻ’s forefathers. The work informs that DzīԻ was the father of Sindhu, Sindhu’s son was ʰśԻ, ʰśԻ was the father of ṣeԻ and ṣeԻ’s son was Somendra. Whether ṣeԻ had another offspring other then Somendra, is not known specifically.
DzīԻ is said to be the descendant of Narendra, a minister of king Jayāpīḍa of Kashmir. But other descendants between DzīԻ and Narendra are nowhere mentioned. In the Ჹٲṅgṇ�, the name of Narendra is not met with as a minister of Jayāpīḍa. It is probable that he was one of the many ministers but his name did not find place in the Ჹٲṅgṇ� as he held some unimportant office.[3] Somendra mentions Narendra as a man having a good intellect (sumati). Somendra also mentions the qualities of DzīԻ in the Introduction to his ܻ屹Բ첹貹 He says that DzīԻ is a man of immense power or strength (sattvanidhi).
DzīԻ’s son Sindhu is described by Somendra as a treasure of all qualities (ṇaٲԲṇāſⲹ�). Sindhu is mentioned as śī i.e fortunate one.[4] In the ٲś屹ٲ[5] of ṣeԻ, Sindhu is said to be greater than ocean (sindhuradhika� sindho�).
ʰśԻ is also well praised by his son ṣeԻ as well as his grandson Somendra. ʰśԻ was so named due to his glorification of superior qualities.[6] He was a person having abundance of wealth. He became well known for his charity to the ṇa. According to Pādatāḍitaka M.K Shastri, the title Indra in the name of ʰśԻ was conferred on account of the handsome gifts he made to the ṇa.[7] ṣeԻ praises ʰśԻ as the second moon, whose popularity was spreading in the earth like the moon light.[8] Like the wish-yielding tree (첹貹ṛkṣa) he granted the desires of those who wished for something.[9] He always arranged feast for the ṇa in his own residence.[10] It is mentioned that he spent twenty five laces on Gods, ṇa and in constructing various ṻ.[11] During solar eclipse he offered three black buck skin (ṛṣṇājԲ) to the ṇa along with three lacs to each one.[12] Somendra eulogises ʰśԻ by saying that his grandfather earned the virtues of Bodhisattva through the merits achieved by his charity.[13] ʰśԻ was truly a devotee of god Ś. It is mentioned that he died embracing the idol of lord Ś.[14] Thus, it can be said that ṣeԻ was born in a very rich and reputed ṇa family. His forefathers enjoyed a good position in the community.
Again one Cakrapāla is mentioned as the brother of ṣeԻ. The expression yathā caitad-bhrātuscakrapālasya mentioned in the 첹ṇṭṇa[15] indicates that ṣeԻ had one brother called Cakrapāla. The expression finds place just after quoting one verse of poet Muktākaṇa.[16] The pronoun etad in the word ٲٳ� occurring in the above quoted statement obviously refers to poet Muktākaṇa mentioned just before in the said context, so that Cakrapāla, appears to be Muktākaṇa’s brother and not ṣeԻ’s.[17] Moreover, the name itself sounds strangely unusual, being out of tune with the names of the other near members of the family, viz., ʰśԻ, ṣeԻ and Somendra.[18]
On the basis of the information provided by both ṣeԻ and his son Somendra the family tree of ṣeԻ may be shown as follows-
Narendra (Minister to king Jayāpīḍa of Kashmir)
|
DzīԻ
|
Sindhu
|
ʰśԻ
|
ṣeԻ
|
Somendra
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
a. āsīt prkāśendra iti ś� kāśmīradeśe tridaśeśvaraśrī�/
abhūd gṛhe yasya pavitrasatramacchinnamagrāsanamagrajānā�// ܳٲⲹ ,貹ṃh,1
b. kaśmīreṣu babhūva sindhuradhika� siṅdhośca nimnāśaya�/
prāptastasya guṇaprakarṣayaśasā ٰܳ� prakāśendratā�// ٲś屹ٲ ,Upasaṃhāra,2
c. kaśmīrako guṇādhāraprakaṇḍaścābhidho'bhavat/
nānārthijanasaṅkalpapūraṇe kalpapādapa�// ṛhٰ첹ٳ峾ñᲹī ,貹ṃh,1
d. kāśmīrako guṇādhāra� prakāśendrābhidho’bhavat/
nānārthisārthasaṅkalpapūraṇe kalpapādapa�// ٲñᲹī ,貹ṃh,1
e. kaśmīreṣvabhavat sindhujanmā candra 貹�/
śԻ� ٳ yasya pṛthivyā� kīrtikaumudī// 峾ⲹṇañᲹī ,貹ṃh,1
[2]:
narendranāmna� sumate� śrījayāpīḍamantriṇa�/
vaṃśe babhūva bhogīndro bhogīndra iva bhogavān//
tasya sattvanidhe� śī ṇaٲԲṇāſⲹ�/
ūԳܰṇīsܻūپ� Ի� Իܰ//
tasya ٰܳ� śԻ� prakāśendranibho bhuvi/
babhūva dānapuṇyena bodhisattvaguṇocita�//
kṣemendrastanayastasya kavīndra� kīrticandrikā/
candrasyevoditā yasya mānasollāsinī �// ܻ屹Բ첹貹 ,Introduction,1-4
[3]:
Suryakanta, Dr., ṣeԻ Studies, p.9
[4]:
tasya sattvanidhe� śī ṇaٲԲṇāſⲹ�/
sunurvāṇīsudhāsūti� Ի� Իܰ// ܻ屹Բ첹貹 , Introduction,2
[5]:
kaśmireṣu babhūva sindhuradhika� sindhośca nimnāśaya�/
ٲś屹ٲ ,Upasaṃhāra,2
[6]:
prāptastasya guṇaprakarṣayaśasā ٰܳ� prakāśendratā�/
.,貹ṃh,2
[8]:
kaśmīreṣvabhavat sindhujanmā candra 貹�/
峾ⲹṇañᲹī ,貹ṃh,1
[9]:
kāśmirako guṇādhāraprakaṇḍaścābhidho’bhavat/
nānārthijanasaṅkalpapūraṇe kalpapādapa�// ṛhٰ첹ٳ峾ñᲹī ,貹ṃh,1
[10]:
agaṇeyamabhūd gehe yasya bhojya� dvijanmanā�/
.,貹ṃh,2
[11]:
svayambhūnilaye śī ya� pratiṣṭhāpya devatā�/
dattvā koṭisaturbhāga� devadvijamaṭhādiṣu// ibid., Upasaṃhāra,4
[12]:
sūryagrahe trivirlakṣairdattvā ṛṣṇājԲtraya� alpaprado’smītyabhavat sa lajjānatakandhara�// ibid., Upasaṃhāra,3
[13]:
babhūva dānapuṇyena bodhisattvaguṇocita�/
ܻ屹Բ첹貹 , Introduction,3
[14]:
pujayitvā svaya� ś� ṣpԾ�/
gāḍha� dorbhyā� samāliṅgya yastatraiva vyapadyata// ṛhٰ첹ٳ峾ñᲹī ,Upasaṃhāra,5
[15]:
첹ṇṭṇa , II. P.71
[16]:
ibid., II. p.70
[18]:
ibid.p.61